The Wolverine
looked her over, his emotions running somewhere inbetween amusement
and curiosity. His eyes raked over her lithe leather-clad body in a
manner that would have made her blush, had she still been that
innocent girl who let her emotions drive her. That girl had
disappeared years ago somewhere during the unnumbered battles and
attacks, lost somewhere back during the funerals for friends and
classmates.

"Did I miss
Halloween again?" Wolverine asked dryly as she slipped into a
comfortable crouch just in front of him. He eyed her again, a
more-discreet-than-most leer that ran up her entire body. Rogue
smiled, expressing her dark amusement. If only he knew what a touch
would do to him.

"Afraid
not," she answered flatly, her tone giving him the hint that she
was a person to listen to. "I'm Rogue. I'm a mutant, same as
you."

"No one's
the same as me, darlin'."

"Don't be
so sure," she practically snapped at him, tired of arrogance and
superiority complexes. The past months had been hard on her. Next
week was her vacation, a whole week to herself. It was just this
Wolverine and one other mutant that she had to deal with. "I'm
here to find you and try to convince you to come back with me and
meet others of our kind."

"You trying
to rustle up some more freaks?"

"I don't
have to do any 'rustling'. We know where the other mutants are. All
of them."

"So why do
you think you can convince me?"

"I have no
expectations. I was asked because you and I have already met before."

"Have we
now?"

"Laughlin
City. You were earning money fighting."

"Hmm . . .
can't say I remember you, darlin'. Did we do anything special that
night?"

"You got in
a fight with the guy that lost to you. When you left I hid in your
trailer and tried to get a ride."

"I left you
on the road," he remembered. It was the twang of the South in
her voice that made him remember.

She nodded.
"That's right."

Wolverine didn't
care what he'd done. He wasn't one for regrets or questioning
himself. If she wanted an apology, she wasn't going to get one. "So,
you're still alive, then. Would have thought you'd freeze to death or
something."

"Fortunately,
no. I was picked up by the X-men. The same people I work with now.
They gave me a home, an education, a family, and a purpose."

"So you
find other mutants and make them part of your big, happy
freak-family? Very impressive."

She suddenly
appeared to grow irritated with his sarcasm and devil-may-care
attitude. She had a job to do and he wasn't making her life any
easier. "Listen, pal!" she grated. "You got a choice
to make here. You can stay here in your pathetic little life
traveling from fight to fight, or you can take a chance and come with
me and change it up a bit. No skin off your back. If you don't like
what you see, you can just leave and come back to this. But we've got
what you want. You can get into all the fights you want. Actually
have a challenge for once. You can have your freedom, use your
skills, make something of your life. We could use your help. All you
have to do is come with me and check it out."

"And where
would we be going?"

"Westchester,
New York. And we'll be flying there."

"Really?"

"We're
high-tech freaks," she said, with more than a bit of bitterness
in her voice.

The Wolverine
suddenly took advantage of the moment and lunged forward, his claws
snapping out as his arm reached for her neck. The three gleaming
claws halted only an inch from the side of her throat. To his
surprise her head only tilted back slightly and she stayed where she
was even though she had all the room in the world to back away from
him. He had meant to scare her, had assumed she would fall back out
of her crouch and probably scramble away in fright, leaving him to
his lonely existence. But she stayed, her gaze still fixed on his
face, refusing to be intimidated.

That was
impressive. He didn't even smell the fear that she should have been
feeling. His gaze questioned her, waiting for her to move, to do
anything in response to his attack. Finally, her eyes still locked on
his, she tilted her chin down and sideways, and her lips opened only
to close around his knuckle in a soft, tiny bite.

He was shocked
for a moment, and then realized the purpose of it when he suddenly
felt energy draining out of him. His instant reaction was the desire
to pull back, to survive, but he couldn't move. When she released an
instant later, he nearly collapsed out of his kneel, both hands
grabbing the ground and his claws digging into grass and soil to
catch him. Normally he would have hated appearing so weak, but he
didn't have the strength to care. It felt like she had knocked the
breath clear out of him, and that never happened.

"What . . .
?" he gasped, unable to do more than that for the moment. He
wasn't even capable of tilting his head up to look at her. Already
though, his healing powers were kicking in and he could feel the
energy quickly returning to him.

"Some of us
are just as dangerous as you, bub," she told him. His face
flickered in surprise at the change in her voice. It was his words,
his humor, and emotion that she was using. "Now typically I
don't use my powers on others, it does a number on me, and changes me
in ways I don't usually enjoy. Consider that your warning. A lot of
us have defensive reactions that you might have a hard time walking
away from. You're healing pretty fast from this one as it is though."

The Wolverine
was already back upright again as she finished her statement and he
took the moment to stare at her. Her power packed an unexpected
punch. The drain might have knocked the breath out of him for a
second but he was ready for another round. It had gotten his
adrenaline running but he couldn't think of fighting for some reason.
His only thought was for that mouth which had delivered such a
damaging lovebite.

She let him
stare at her for a moment more before she stood and asked, "You
coming?" He stared some more. She seemed to have dropped all
appearance of persuasion. It was like she knew his mind was made up
and she was just trying to get him on his feet.

He gave a shrug
as he got up. "I guess I am."

"Follow
me," she said over her shoulder as she began walking. He admired
her easy stride as she moved through the trees following some trail
that he couldn't see. His nose told him that she had come this way
previously though. She was quiet when she moved, quieter than he was
even, and she didn't seem uncomfortable having him at her back. It
was like she knew he wasn't going to hurt her, like she seemed to
understand him.

"So what
kind of name is Rogue?"

"What kind
of name is Wolverine?" she threw back, understanding that he
didn't mean offense. He was discreetly poking for information. People
interested him, even if he wasn't willing to show it.

"Name's
Logan," he said in a quiet sort of pained manner.

Rogue paused,
suddenly thrown by the way he'd said it. It meant something to have a
man so secretive and lost about his past give you his name. "Marie,"
she whispered.

They were silent
after that and the walk continued for another ten minutes through the
trees until they arrived at the side of a dark jet which had been
carefullly landed on a rock outcropping just inside the valley.

"Nice
plane," he commented with just a touch of sarcasm. She smiled
slightly, finding a familiar humor in his tone. Somehow even the
ridicule to the plane that her only family had taken effort to build
and shape didn't offend her.

He followed
Rogue up the ramp into a spacious cabin with a half dozen seats
facing front and more along the sides. She headed up to the front and
he followed but stopped at the back seat to watch the woman stride up
towards where the pilot, copilot, and a passenger sat.

"How are we
doing, Storm?" she directed to the pilot as she moved forward.

The passenger,
whom she had been pointedly ignoring, reached out and danced his
fingers along the back of her thigh. She hissed at him, quite like a
cat, and raised her hand, the fingers curled like claws.

The man
instantly raised his hands in surrender. "Perhaps Remy made a
mistake, cheri."

"Damn right
you did," she snarled, lowering her hand as she forced the
fingers to unbend and relax. Wolverine couldn't help but think that
the conversation was directed to something more than him touching her
just this time. They seemed too uncomfortable with each other to be
anything but close.

The pilot threw
a disapproving back at Remy before looking to the young woman. "The
professor added a third name to the list, Rogue."

Rogue groaned.
"Dammit, we'd better be done before four. I've got places to
be." She turned away from the front and pointed at a seat for
Wolverine as she took the one beside it. He noticed that she chose
the one behind Remy, the better to keep an eye on him and stay where
he couldn't easily see her.

Wolverine took a
long glance at Remy's face as he sat down. He was slightly startled
to see the man's eyes, a disconcerting combination of black and red.
It gave the man an exotic look but Wolverine instantly pegged him for
a brigand without any honor at all. That man would be happy to use
anyone and do so without guilt.

"Everyone,
this is Logan," Rogue introduced as the engines of the jet
kicked on. She seemed to realize that he would rather be considered
human than animal. Her tone was soft when she turned to him. "Logan,
this is Remy LeBeau, Ororo Munroe, and Kitty Pryde."

"Call me
Storm," the white-haired pilot said over her shoulder as the jet
slid smoothly into the sky. "And buckle up."

Wolverine rolled
his eyes and looked over to see Rogue struggling with her harness.
"Hate these things," she murmured to him.

Remy popped his
head out from his seat to look back and ask, "Can Remy offer his
assistance, cheri?"

Her lip curled
as she looked at him and her foot kicked the back of his seat. Her
voice was icy. "Your persistance is only going to land you in
the infirmary."

Remy shut up and
sat swiftly back down.

It was only a
twenty minute flight before the pilot, Storm, brought the jet to land
again. "This the one with the destructive tendencies?"
Rogue asked wearily.

"That's
her. Gambit and Kitty and I have this one if you're okay with staying
here."

"Sounds
good." They all unbuckled, Rogue heading towards the back as the
other three dropped out of sight at the bottom of the ramp.

Logan sat there,
pleased for the moment to be ignored as he attempted to gather his
thoughts.

"You want
something to eat?" Rogue called up. Logan turned in his seat to
find her head stuck in one of the storage lockers in the back.

He wasn't
exactly hungry, but he felt like he could eat something. Especially
if it was the peace offering from her that he thought it was. "What
have you got?"

"Beef
jerky," she pulled her hand out with a ten ounce bag in her
hand, but her head was still in the compartment, searching for more.

Logan left the
seat and took the bag from her. "Sounds good."

"It's
Remy's. Eat it all," she invited with a fearsome grin.

Logan smiled
with pleasure at the idea of pissing off the creepy little mutant.
Even if it would be totally Rogue's fault, he loved being able to
contribute something to the mischief. "Take it you don't like
him much."

"Let's just
say he doesn't really have a reason to think so highly of himself,"
she said off-handedly as she shuffled through the compartment and
pulled out a can of peaches which she contemplated for a moment. "His
uses are few and far between," she finished as she set the can
on the bench and pulled out plastic spoons.

"Huh."
Logan let himself be amused by her frank assessment and straddled the
bench next to her while chewing loudly on a chunk of the jerky.

After Rogue had
snatched a piece of the jerky she pried open the can of peaches and
Logan immediately picked up a spoon to dig into that as well. Rogue
joined him and the meal suddenly felt like an impromptu picnic for
two. Logan felt surprisingly sociable with the young woman, though
they ate in a comfortable silence.

000000

"We're
leaving," Kitty announced as the three mutants staggered back in
and interrupted the picnic. Remy looked startled and silently angered
at the sight of his empty package of jerky but Logan flashed a
challenging grin that sent any of the man's more daring thoughts
running for shelter.

"I take it
she didn't like the suggestion?" Rogue asked mildly. Logan
smelled blood, sweat, fear, and a bit of exhaustion on the three.
They'd been fighting, and it appeared as though they'd lost their
battle.

"I think
there was PMS involved," Kitty replied and Rogue chuckled before
dumping the remains of the meal in a plastic bag and stuffing it back
in the locker. She shoved Logan in front of her back towards his seat
as Storm started getting the jet ready for take-off.

There was a
sudden thud of something large and heavy striking the side of the jet
which set the entire vessel shaking. "Storm, can you raise the
ramp please?" Rogue asked patiently.

Logan raised his
eyebrows, concerned rather than frightened. He knew from experience
how very difficult it would be for him to die, and his
invulnerability made him unperturbed by the situation. He didn't know
these people well enough to really care about their well-being,
although Rogue was interesting if nothing else. "Problem?"
he questioned her mildly.

She threw him a
barely irritated glance. "Is it possible you might have been
followed?" she called up towards the front.

"It would
appear so," Remy tossed back furiously. He was beside Storm at
the controls, though his skill was far below anything that could
really benefit them. "How long till you can get us in the air?"

"Another
thirty seconds," Storm answered just as the entire jet rocked
from a hard hit. "If she doesn't damage anything important. Get
in a seat."

Remy threw
himself back into the seat and buckled in quickly as Rogue scrambled
for her belt as well. Logan reached over and snatched the buckles
from her, fastening them himself before she could object to his help.
He didn't know why the urge to see her secure had come over him but
he did it and buckled himself in fast before Storm sent the jet
rocketing for the clouds.

Logan watched
Rogue slow her breathing in only moments and then relax. "Are
you all alright?"

Kitty was
looking herself over, and even though she was the one who was most
likely to get out of the way of danger, she appeared to have a few
bumps. "I hit my head."

"Tell me
when we're good," Rogue said.

Storm nodded.
"Two minutes until we've got altitude and a chance for me to
check the radar." Rogue waited patiently until Storm nodded at
her and then she unbuckled and went up to check on Kitty's head.
"It's just a little blood. Don't fall asleep, okay?"

"Concussion,
right."

"I will
slap you if you so much as blink for a second longer than normal."

"Understood."

"Storm, how
did you make out?"

"I'm pretty
sure there was some blood on my leg. Just a second and I'll see to
it."

Rogue crouched
down beside the chair to check it out and popped back up after a
moment. "Yeah. I'll get some bandages." She kept her
balance moving towards the back of the jet but only barely. Logan
caught her from falling at the slight bit of turbulence when she made
her way back up front with bandages in hand and she nodded her thanks
to him as she kept moving towards Storm.

"This will
be easier if you turn away from the controls."

"I should
stay here. The turbulence might get pretty bad."

"At least
give me your leg." Storm carefully turned her body out towards
Rogue who unzipped the leg revealing the smooth dark skin. Rogue
didn't have much experience medically, but the physiology she had
studied combined with emergency first aid training gave her some
understanding of what needed to be done. "Storm, does your leg
hurt very much?" she questioned in a concerned tone after a
second.

"Worse
every second," the woman said, and a bit of pained harshness
finally seeped out in her voice.

"It's
swelling up pretty ugly," Rogue announced. "Might be
broken. Or at least fractured. I think we should take you back to the
mansion."

"We have a
mission to finish."

"Do you
honestly think you can make it? You're the only one we have to fly
this thing. Maybe some painkillers."

"No. I need
to keep my head. I've had worse."

"Do you
think I should bandage it up?"

"Leave it."

"The
scratch is bleeding though."

"It's
already stopping. And you need to get ready. You're going out for the
last one."

"I'm just
barely injured," Remy offered.

Rogue stood up,
deigning to glare at him for a moment. "You can fucking die."
She folded the medical supplies back in their box and headed to the
back to return them to their locker. "What information did the
professor give us on this one?" she asked as she pulled her hair
back and tightened the wrists of her gloves.

Kitty first
looked at Storm who was too focused on the computers to be bothered,
and then answered. "Male, mid twenties, moderate chance of
danger. He's been sighted before, even put in the tabloids, but he's
managed to protect his identity. He's safe, though that might not
last long. We'll find him at his house in Kentucky; we've got the
coordinates. It's his mother that wants him to come up with us."

"How's she
know?"

"She's
Cannonball's mother."

"Oh. And
the newbie?"

"Cannonball's
brother, Jay. He's got fucking wings."

"Don't
start with the wing thing, Kitty. Why's he coming with us?"

"Last
resort. He's been having some trouble killing himself. Been trying
real hard was my impression."

"Like we
don't have enough emo teenagers around the mansion to babysit."

"Rogue!"
both Kitty and Storm managed to snap chidingly.

"Jeez. Ease
up. I'll take care of it. What kind of danger will I have to worry
about?"

"None. His
mother and the family is expecting us. Get in, pick him up, get him
out. The only trouble might be him not wanting to come."

"Well, if
he's that suicidal, maybe he'll be depressed enough not to care."

"If he
doesn't want to come, you're going to be hard pressed to make him by
yourself."

"I can
come," Remy offered.

"Not even
when hell freezes over." She turned to the only other option,
and one that she knew would piss Remy off. She also knew she could
trust him. "Logan, you can come with. See what we do. You can
carry the kid if we need to. Or just scare him into doing what we
want."

"Sure. Why
not." Logan shrugged and sent Remy another animal grin of
dominance.

"Just two
minutes to touch down," Storm announced.

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